# DuitNow and DuitNow QR: Paying With a Phone Number, Not an Account Number

> DuitNow is Malaysia's instant transfer rail that uses a phone number or NRIC instead of a bank account number, while DuitNow QR is the same national QR code that can be scanned across any bank or e-wallet. Both are operated by PayNet under a Bank Negara Malaysia framework that now forces all proprietary QR codes to be retired by 2028.

- Category: money-daily-life
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/money-daily-life/duitnow-qr-payments

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A night-market stall owner displays a single QR code. A customer using the
Maybank app scans it. The next customer uses Touch 'n Go eWallet, scanning
the **same** QR code. Both payments land in the merchant's account within
seconds. There is no separate QR code for each bank or e-wallet — that's
DuitNow QR working quietly behind the scenes.

## DuitNow: send using a phone number, not an account number

DuitNow is an instant fund transfer service across banks and e-wallets in
Malaysia. The difference from an ordinary bank transfer: you don't need to
type a long bank account number. Instead, DuitNow matches a single **proxy
ID** to a destination account.

| Proxy ID | Suited for |
| --- | --- |
| Mobile phone number | Individuals |
| NRIC (identity card number) | Individuals |
| Passport number | Non-citizens |
| BRN (SSM business registration number) | Registered businesses |

To **send** money, you don't need to register anything — just log in to your
bank app, choose DuitNow, and type the recipient's proxy ID. To **receive**
money, on the other hand, the recipient needs to register once to link that
proxy ID to a bank account or e-wallet. A single ID can only be linked to one
account at a time, but a person can register several different IDs (for
example, a phone number and an NRIC) to the same account.

According to PayNet's official website, DuitNow transfers are **free up to
RM5,000 per transaction**. Beyond that amount, some banks charge a **50 sen**
fee, although many banks waive it as an incentive. The service is supported
by most major banks and various participating e-wallets across the country.

## DuitNow QR: one code, every bank

If DuitNow is the transfer rail, DuitNow QR is how it's displayed at the
counter. It is the same **National Standard QR Code** — when a merchant
displays a single DuitNow QR code, a customer of any participating bank or
e-wallet can scan it and pay directly, without the merchant needing to
subscribe to dozens of separate proprietary QR systems.

The limits and conditions, according to PayNet:

- **Transaction limit:** up to **RM50,000** per transaction, shared with the
  same DuitNow third-party transfer limit.
- **Transactions under RM250:** do not require additional verification at the
  customer level.
- **Fees to users:** PayNet states that paying, sending or receiving via
  DuitNow QR does not carry an additional charge to the user — although fees
  to the merchant (via the acquiring bank) may vary.

## Who's actually behind DuitNow

DuitNow and DuitNow QR are operated by **PayNet (Payments Network
Malaysia)** — the national payment infrastructure company that is
majority-owned by Bank Negara Malaysia together with major local banks. BNM
itself does not operate day-to-day transactions; its role is to set the
policy framework that requires banks and e-wallets to join the same
infrastructure.

The original framework — the **Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework
(ICTF)**, issued December 2019 — is what required DuitNow to exist in the
first place. On **30 June 2026**, BNM issued its successor: the
**Interoperable Fund Transfer Framework (IFTF)**, which goes beyond
account-to-account transfers to explicitly cover QR payments as well. Under
the IFTF, any proprietary or closed QR network still operated by a bank or
e-wallet must be **fully retired by 30 June 2028**, and institutions are
prohibited from registering new merchants to closed schemes during that
transition period.

## Common mistakes

- **Assuming DuitNow QR is a feature of a specific bank.** It is shared
  infrastructure — the same QR code works regardless of which app scans it.
- **Forgetting to register to RECEIVE money.** Sending doesn't require
  registration, but your proxy ID needs to be linked first before others can
  pay you through it.
- **Assuming all DuitNow transfers are free with no limit.** It's free only
  up to RM5,000 per transaction; beyond that a small fee may be charged
  depending on the bank.
- **Confusing PayNet with Bank Negara Malaysia.** BNM sets the framework and
  supervises; PayNet is the one that builds and runs the payment rail every
  day.

## What's next

- See the regulator's full role behind this system at
  [Bank Negara Malaysia](/en/economy/bank-negara-malaysia).
- If you're building a product that receives or holds customer money, check
  when BNM approval is actually required at
  [payment regulation in Malaysia](/en/business/payment-regulation-malaysia).

## Sources

- DuitNow QR - Personal Solutions — https://www.paynet.my/personal-solutions/duitnow-qr.html (PayNet (Payments Network Malaysia))
- DuitNow Transfer - Personal Solutions — https://www.paynet.my/personal-solutions/duitnow-transfer.html (PayNet (Payments Network Malaysia))
- Malaysia's DuitNow and Singapore's PayNow to Link in 2022 — https://www.bnm.gov.my/-/malaysia-duitnow-and-singapore-paynow-link-in-2022 (Bank Negara Malaysia)
- Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework (Policy Document) — https://www.bnm.gov.my/documents/20124/761679/PD+ICTF.pdf (Bank Negara Malaysia)
- Interoperable Fund Transfer Framework (Policy Document) — https://www.bnm.gov.my/documents/20124/943361/pd_IFTF_June2026.pdf (Bank Negara Malaysia)
- BNM's Interoperable Fund Transfer Framework: What It Means for DuitNow QR — https://fintechnews.my/59367/regtech-fintech-regulation-malaysia/bnm-interoperable-fund-transfer-framework-iftf/ (Fintech News Malaysia)

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Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md
License: CC BY-SA 4.0